Prettyinpinkgal: Okay, so we all know that Kurosaki and Teru NEED to be together, right? Well, what if they actually started dating?! I'm really addicted to fluff; what can I say? This is inspired by one of the chapter covers, I want to say it's somewhere between Chapter 10 and Chapter 15.

Note: Purikura is short for the English phrase "Print Club". It is the little photo booth they have in Japan and in America, although they are much more popular in Japan.

Disclaimer: DD doesn't belong to me.

TIME AFTER TIME

Dating: iPod

Everything was out in the open. Teru and Kurosaki had admitted they liked each other yesterday, and after talking for a while, Kurosaki confessed that he was DAISY, and Teru admitted she had known for a while now.

And so, on this bright, happy morning, when Teru should have been beaming out of sheer ecstasy, she was instead sitting up in her bed, her eyes mere lines as she stared ahead, looking grave and comical at the same time.

After some time of staying in this position, she apparently came to a decision, for she nodded once and jumped out of bed, quickly changing out of her pajamas to her day clothes.

Teru skidded into the hallway, then bolted into the kitchen. "Riko-san! I humbly request your assistance!" she cried in typical Teru-fashion.

Riko looked up from her computer. "Morning, Teru. What's up?"

"Do you have any shoujo manga?!"

The older woman looked at her quizzically. "Why?"

"Because I need to be cheap, so I can't buy any myself!"

"Um, why do you want some?"

"...I can't tell you. Sorry!"

Teru recalled Kurosaki's words last night just before they parted ways. "You must not tell Riko, got it?! It's to keep our sanity!"

Riko thought for a moment. "Shoujo manga...usually are romantic." She glanced at Teru out of the corner of her eye.

The high-schooler turned pink despite her attempts to stay calm.

"They...could council people on how to date." Another glance.

Another blush.

"HA!" Riko cried, pointing at the younger girl and causing the latter to jump. "I knew it! You and Kurosaki are dating! I have woman's intuition; I can tell these things! But why weren't you going to tell me?" she suddenly asked in a much calmer voice.

"Um...various reasons."

"Kurosaki told you to keep your mouth shut."

"...Yeah, basically."

"Oh well, I'll just kill him later. Anyway, best of luck dating that guy! But you should know what he's like by now. Just make sure he doesn't pull anything, or he'll suffer my wrath."

Teru smiled. "Thanks, Riko-san." This was Riko's way of looking after her, she supposed, and she appreciated it, although it might have been a bit overboard.

"So, what exactly did you need advice about?"

Teru wondered if admitting her feelings had made her more susceptible to blushing. It certainly seemed so, for she was doing it yet again. "Uh, I wanted to know what to do now. I mean, I know we're supposed to go on dates and everything, but I don't know how to act, you know? I'm used to kicking him when he picks on me, not being in love-love mode."

Riko paused. "Can you two even be in love-love mode? It doesn't seem to fit."

"Exactly," replied Teru morosely.

The guidance counselor sighed as she thought. Then her eyes lit up. "I know! Since school doesn't start up again for a few more days, you won't be able to see him there, right? Which is too bad, because seeing each other in a usual setting would help. So instead...hm...why don't you happen to bump into him somewhere? It won't be a date, since it wasn't planned, so you'll feel calmer about the whole thing. I'm sure you'll figure out how to act once you two spend some time together without being stressed out."

Teru considered this, then nodded. "Okay. But I don't know where he's going to be."

Riko winked. "Leave it to me!"

"No thanks," Teru immediately replied. "It feels too much like stalking."

"Meh. You're no fun. But I recommend just hanging out in that park near Master's. Kurosaki sometimes goes that way to think."


Okay, be normal, Teru thought vehemently. She got out her iPod and started listening to the songs as she walked around, enjoying the fall colors as she slowly felt herself relax.

She must have been walking for twenty minutes when someone saying, "-ru. Teru!" suddenly jolted her from her reveries. She whirled around, and there was Kurosaki, looking amused. "Well, someone's out of it today."

"I am not! I was enjoying myself, thank you," retorted Teru, frowning. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"I was at Master's. We were...talking about stuff." He would rather die than admit that he had been there asking advice on how to date Teru.

"How am I supposed to treat her now?!" Kurosaki had demanded, sounding worried indeed.

Master replied, "Well, treat her as you usually would, I suppose. Just show a bit of your DAISY side. I guess in short, just be honest with your feelings."

"I've spent God knows how long not being honest! I can't just change overnight!"

"You don't have to. It'll happen on its own."

"Crap!" Kurosaki muttered, taking a sip of his beverage. "She deserves better than this."

"She wanted to date you, too. She knew what she was getting into. But I feel bad for her," Master added, sounding pensive. "She's probably worried about how to act around you, too. You're her first boyfriend, aren't you? Furthermore, she probably is worried about the eight-year age difference between you too."

Kurosaki groaned. "Don't remind me. Crap. Crap! This is a mistake. I shouldn't--GAH!" The exclamation was due to the fact that Master had just punched him.

"How about," Master said with a smile, "you cool your head and go outside for a while." He had talked to Riko just before Kurosaki had come in.

Kurosaki quickly got out of there, worried that he'd get another punch--I'm so abused! he thought agitatedly--and wandered over to the park. There he spotted the object of his worries, but these fears evaporated as he watched her walk about, looking peaceful and content. She looked like a goddess, although he'd never admit this to anyone.

Which brings us to the present. "What are you listening to?" Kurosaki asked, trying to get a glimpse at the iPod's screen.

Teru beamed. "Our song!"

He felt his cheeks burn slightly, although it could have been due to the sudden breeze which whispered of the few weeks left before winter arrived. "You mean 'Time After Time'?"

"Mm! Except it's not the original one. It's Quietdrive's."

"Kuwaieto Duraibu?" Kurosaki repeated, sounding confused.

Teru laughed. "No, see? It's English." She showed him the screen. "Wanna listen?" She handed him one of the earphones.

"Lying in my bed--"

"Hey, this is pretty good," Kurosaki said with a smile.

"Isn't it? I found it on the internet a few days ago. I think I like it better than the original!"

"Yeah, me too."

They listened together for a few minutes, oblivious to how close the iPod had required they be in order for the earphones to stay in. Another gust of wind, stronger than the first, blew through the park, and Teru shivered. Kurosaki automatically put an arm around her, and she leaned into him, both only partly realizing what they were doing.

"If you're lost you can look and you will find me--" the vocalist sang.

"Time after time," Teru sang suddenly, causing Kurosaki to grin.

"You suck at this."

"Then you sing!" Teru retorted.

"Time after time," Kurosaki sang, causing Teru to do a giggle-snort. "Shut up, you; it didn't sound that bad!"

"Yeah, it did," she teased.

An elderly couple passed them. "Oh, how cute, dear. Young love," the grandmother said, causing Kurosaki and Teru to freeze.

Her husband nodded happily. "I remember when we were like that. How the years have flown by. But you look as beautiful as ever, my dear."

"Oh, you!" the wife giggled, and the two passed our duo, whose stray strands of hair were standing on end.

"I don't think we'll ever be that lovey-dovey, thank God," Teru said wisely as she stared after the affectionate couple. "It's fine for some people, but not us."

"I'm glad you agree," Kurosaki replied, staring after them with the same expression as Teru.

However, they both silently acknowledged that they wouldn't be opposed to being a little bit more romantic.

This wish was fulfilled after a day of sightseeing, buying takoyaki, going to the movies and stuffing their faces with popcorn, and going to a purikura, they returned to the apartment complex.

"See you later, Kurosaki," Teru said pleasantly as she turned to open her door.

"Hang on a minute."

Teru turned, about to ask why, Kurosaki put his arms on both sides of the doorframe, capturing her. He leaned in and gently kissed her. Teru slowly closed her eyes, hesitantly kissing him back.

And then they both fell as the door opened, finding themselves painfully on the floor of Riko's apartment. There stood the woman herself, smiling with her eyes closed. "Hello, you two! I hope you had a nice time. Tasuku, may I talk to you for a minute? Outside? Preferably in the alley next door?"

Kurosaki muttered, "Oh, crap" and that was all, for Riko was already dragging him outside.